Beginning with Dairy Goat help??

[vagabondstew]

Hello everyone! I'm a long time lurker but I finally buckled down and made an account!

A newbie poster, I'm also a newbie homesteader, which is why I'm making a post asking for some advice on goats: more specifically Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats! Come this spring, I'm hoping to purchase two doelings, and I've done a fair amount of research and pen-building (and goat breed-dairy-taste-testing), but I still have a fair amount of questions! If anyone has any experience raising doelings for dairy I'd love to hear your stories!

This is looking into the future but I just want to have a basic idea:

1. If I purchase doelings, how long must I wait before breeding? (I've read so many different things and I'm so confused on the timeline!) I know it'll be a while before I actually get milk from them, and that the kids must be born before that, but what age did you generally get the first milk?
2. Do you recommend purchasing kids that must be bottle fed or purchasing a weaned kid at 8-weeks? (I know the time requirement for this is a huge part, but in your experience did that pay off?)


Or do you think it's just easier to purchase a already bred adult? If so, what are some tips you have for purchasing the best-friendliest one available? (I'm not necessarily looking for the *best* milker, just one that is easy to milk.)

I'm sorry if these questions seem sort of silly or obvious, but I just want to make sure I have everything in order before the time comes when I make a purchase. Thank you so much for your time and experience!

 

[Farmgirl0422]

Hi! I actually have a 8 month old Nigerian dwarf Saanen cross and I asked the same questions. I've heard not to breed them until they are at least 1 year old and that's if they have grown well. If not I think you should wait until they are 1 and a half. If they are still not big enough you should wait, but people said they have not had a doe that had to wait longer than 1 and a half. I also think the weight is 50 pounds for a ND so maybe wait until she is 65-70 pounds. Also I have a bottle fed doe and a wether that was raised with momma and I would say that a bottle fed goat was worth it if you wanted a snuggly lovey up in your face type of goat. But my goat that was raised with momma will not greet you or be up in your face. So its basically about what type of goat you like best! And i'm not much help when it comes to purchasing already bred adult goats because I never have. Good Luck!

 

[vagabondstew]

Thank you so much! That really helps, and yea I was thinking bottle fed would definitely be easier to manage lol.